the pledges and promises therein contained carried out to the utmost ex tent. I am directed by the President to say that the rank of brevet brigadier general will be conferred on you as soon as you commence your movement towards California, and sent round to you by sea or over the country, or to the care of the commandant of our squadron in the Pacific. In that way cannon, arms, ammunition, and supplies for the land forces will be sent to you. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 3, 1846. SIR: The President having decided to accept the services of a regiment and a separate battalion of mounted men, should you and the other gentlemen named in my letter of this date to Governor Edwards be able to organize them without delay, you are respectfully requested to wait upon his Excellency, deliver my letter, explain to him the wishes and views of the President in this matter, and obtain his approval and co-operation in carrying out the arrangement-both which, it is not doubted, he will promptly and cheerfully render. Among the patriotic citizens of Missouri who are willing, nay, anxious, to volunteer their services to the government in this emergency, some, from previous habits of life and knowledge of the country, may be better adapted than others to the peculiar service which will be required of them. It is important that those composing this force should be persons best fitted for that service. You will perceive that Fort Leavenworth or Independence is designated as the place of rendezvous. The troops should be organized and moved forward on the expedition with all practicable despatch. They will be placed under the command of Colonel Kearny, who should be informed of the time when they will be in readiness, and be able to reach him at Santa Fe, or wherever he may be. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. STERLING PRICE. W. L. MARCY, WAR DEPARTMENT, SIR: I enclosed to you a few copies of a proclamation prepared for General Taylor to issue to the Mexicans. I discover that there are parts of it that will not answer our purpose for Santa Fe or Upper California. You will not, therefore, use these copies. It is intended to make the needful alterations in it, and, thus altered, send on copies to you; and I trust I may get them to you before you will have occasion to distribute them. I must, however, urge you not to use those which have been forwarded. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel S. W. KEARNY. W. L. MARCY, SIR: By direction of the President, I have given to the bearer hereof, Colonel Magoffin, a letter of introduction to you, and trust you will derive advantage from his knowledge of the country in which you are to carry on military operations, and the assistance he may afford in securing supplies, &c. I have nothing of importance to add to the despatches which have been already forwarded to you. Since my last letter, it has been determined to send a small force round Cape Horn to California. The armis, cannon, and provisions to be sent to the Pacific, will be accompanied by one company of artillery of the regular army. Arrangements are now on foot to send a regiment of volunteers by sea. These troops, and such as may be organized in Upper California, will be under your command. More than common solicitude will be felt here in regard to the expedition committed to you, and it is desired that you should avail yourself of all occasions to inform the government of your progress and prospects. The President desires your opinion, as early as you are in a situation to favor him with it, of the practicability of your reaching California in the course of this autumn or in the early part of next winter. I need not repeat the expression of his wishes that you should take military possession of that country as soon as it can be safely done. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel S. W. KEARNY. W. L. MARCY, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 18, 1846. SIR: At the request of the President, I commend to your favorable consideration the bearer hereof, Colonel James W. Magoffin. Mr. M. is now and has been for some years a resident of Chihuahua, and extensively engaged in trade in that and other settlements of Mexico. He is well acquainted with the people of Chihuahua, Santa Fe, and the intermediate country. He was introduced to the President by Colonel Benton, as a gentleman of intelligence and most respectable character. The President has had several interviews with him, and is favorably impressed with his character, intelligence, and disposition to the cause of the United States. His knowledge of the country and of the people is such as induces the President to believe he may render important services to you in regard to your military movements in New Mexico. He will leave here for Santa Fe immediately, and will probably overtake you before you arrive at that place. Considering his intelligence, his credit with the people, and his business capacity, it is believed he will give important information and make arrangements to furnish your troops with abundant supplies in New Mexico. Should you apprehend difficulties of this nature, it is recommended to you to avail yourself in this respect, and others, of his services, for which he will, as a matter of course, be entitled to a fair consideration. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel S. W. KEARNY. W. L. MARCY, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 18, 1846. SR: I am requested by the President to commend the bearer hereof, Colonel James W. Magoffin, to your favorable consideration. He has been presented to the President as a gentleman of high character and intelligence. He is now, and has been for several years past, a resident of Chihuahua, extensively engaged in trade in that and several other departments of Mexico, and is well acquainted with the people and the country. His knowledge in this respect, his credit with the inhabitants, his means, together with his disposition to be useful to the United States, may be of eminent service in your expedition against Chihuahua; and the President desires that you should avail yourself of his assistance to the extent you may need it: As it will be important to derive your supplies, as far as practicable, from that country, it is believed he will, in this respect, be very useful to you and the public service. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, To the COMMANDING OFFICER W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. of the U. S. troops, in the expedition to Chihuahua. Washington, September 12, 1846. SIR: volunteer regiment raised in the State of New York, engaged to serve during the war with Mexico, and to be discharged wherever they may be at its termination, if in a territory of the United States, has been mustered into service, and is about to embark at the port of New York for California. This force is to be a part of your command; but as it may reach the place of its destination before you are in a condition to subject it to your orders, the colonel of the regiment, J. D. Stevenson, has been furnished with instructions for his conduct in the mean time. I herewith send you a copy thereof, as well as a copy of the instructions of the Navy Department to the commander of the naval squadron in the Pacific; a copy of a letter to General Taylor, with a circular from the Treasury De partment; a copy of a letter from General Scott to Captain Tompkins, and a copy of general regulations relative to the respective rank of naval and army officers. These, so far as applicable, will be looked upon in the light of instructions to yourself. The department is exceedingly desirous to be furnished by you with full information of your progress and proceedings, together with your opinions and views as to your movements into California, having reference as to time, route, &c. Beyond the regiment under the command of Colonel S. Price, and the separate battalion called for at the same time by the President from the governor of Missouri, a requisition for another regiment of infantry was issued on the 18th of July last, but the information subsequently received here induced the belief that it would not be needed; and the difficulty of passing it over the route at so late a period in the season, with the requisite quantity of supplies, &c., was deemed so great that the orders to muster it into service have been countermanded. It will not be sent. Your views as to the sufficiency of your force, and the practicability of sustaining a larger one, &c., are desired. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, Gen. S. W. KEARNY, Fort Leavenworth, Missouri. W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 5, 1846. SIR: You are hereby authorized to draw on the Quartermaster General of the army at Washington, for such sums of money as you may need, which drafts will be paid on presentation, and charged to the appropriation to be therein designated. You are also authorized to receive from the disbursing officers of the Pay, Quartermaster, and Subsistence departments, such sums of money as you may require; and for sums so received, and the amount of drafts drawn by you under this authority, you will account according to law. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Col. R. B. MASON, Secretary of War. 1st Dragoons. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 10, 1946. SIR: The information received at the department renders it almost certain that the force sent by sea into California, and that which has beer organized, will be sufficient to hold possession of that country, and successfully defeat any effort which it will be in the power of Mexico to make to recover it. It is presumed that you will not find a state of things in California. requiring you to remain in that country, but that you will deem it proper to leave affairs there in charge of Colonel Mason, recently sent out, and return to Santa Fe. It is not improbable that you will have arrived at that place by the time this communication will be there received. The department is satisfied, from the information contained in your despatches, and from other sources, that the force at Santa Fe will be greater than will be necessary to retain and secure possession of it and of the province of New Mexico. The object of this communication is to make some suggestions in relation to the employment of that portion of the forces, under your command, which may not be needed for that purpose; but, before presenting these suggestions, it may be proper to apprize you of what is now, and probably will be, the state of things on the lower Rio Grande. General Wool reached Monclova about the last of October. If Mexico had attempted to retain Chihuahua, he would have marched into that department with a view to conquer and hold possession of it; but as the enemy has no organized force in Chihuahua, and as the invading column under General Taylor has moved from Monterey upon Saltillo, and will doubtless hold the latter place, Chihuahua is, in effect, subjected to our arms, and the forces under General Wool may join General Taylor's column without going into the department of Chihuahua. your It is suggested for your consideration, that you should move with disposable force towards the positions occupied by General Taylor, passing into Chihuahua and Durango, or some part of it. It is hoped that there will exist no sufficient cause to prevent you from pursuing this course. Much is left to your discretion in regard to your operations, for it cannot be anticipated what will be the condition of things in those provinces. I am satisfied that it is the policy of Mexico to carry on a guerrilla warfare, and to seek occasion to fall, with vastly superior force, upon small detachments of our troops. You will, as a matter of course, take every precaution to ascertain the state of things about you, the condition of the country through which you propose to pass, in regard to the resistance that can be made to your progress. A movement may be made upon the capital of Mexico; if so, the principal column will probably advance from some point on the gulf. In that event your force should be employed in the most effective way to create a diversion. Whether you can render most aid to the principal movements by operating separately, or by joining and strengthening the forces penetrating the enemy's country in the direction of Monterey and Saltillo, cannot be determined here, but must be left to yourself. Should you approach near to these forces, you will naturally fall under the orders. of the commander of them. It will be important that you should unfold to him the plans of your operations, and keep him advised of all your movements. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. |
